Her Own Advice
by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley
Summary: Ivan plays matchmaker when he reminds Marinette of her own advice. It is more than effective when Ladybug confides into Chat Noir about it all.


**Author's Note:** for pinksakura271, who inspired this fic.

Ivan stood his ground.

He wasn't one for interfering in other people's relationships. He wasn't really the one for interfering altogether actually but Mylene thought they would make a good couple and quite honestly Ivan owed Marinette one.

Marinette was the reason he had been able to get with Mylene after all. She had encouraged him and given him advice when he had needed it the most. Marinette was the reason he was so happy now and it was time he returned the favour.

After all Marinette deserved to be just as happy.

So Ivan mustered up all of his determination to speak up.

"Marinette," he said quietly, "could I speak to you for a moment?"

Marinette paused in packing her backpack as she turned and blinked up bewilderedly at him. "Sure," she smiled.

"Alone?"

He didn't want to embarrass her any more than he was going to. It was one thing to be confronted about your feelings for someone but another thing entirely to do it in front of their friends, her crush, and the school bully.

"Okay," Marinette replied cheerfully.

Ivan led her away to a more secluded spot where no one could hear them. It took them a while and once they were alone Ivan found himself unable to find the right words. Or more accurately how to beat about the bush.

"Ivan," Marinette said gently, "what's up?" she nibbled her lip anxiously. "Is everything okay? Do you need me to do something? Speak to Mylene for you? You two haven't fought, have you?"

"You should take your own advice."

He decided he couldn't beat about the bush and therefore it was best to remain true to himself and be blunt.

Marinette blinked. "Huh?" she asked, dazed.

"You once said I shouldn't feel negative feelings, you know, like shame, about for my feelings for Mylene," Ivan stated, "or were you lying?"

" _Of course not_!" Marinette cried out. "You have no reason to be ashamed! There is nothing _shameful_ about your feelings for Mylene!"

"Well then," Ivan shrugged. "You have nothing to be ashamed of about your feelings for Adrien. You shouldn't be negative."

Marinette squeaked as her cheeks flushed bright pink in embarrassment. " _You know about those_?!" she half shrieked.

"Marinette," Ivan said exasperatedly, " _everyone knows_. It's not exactly a secret or anything. Why do you think Chloe has been meaner this year? She knows you got your eyes on what she sees to be her property."

" _Everyone?_!" Marinette looked horrified. "Even _Adrien_?!"

"No, Adrien appears to be rather oblivious" Ivan admitted. "But everyone else knows."

"Oh God…." Marinette groaned quietly, "I think I might just die."

"Why?" Ivan asked flatly. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. No negative feelings, remember? You should tell him."

"I-I-I can't!"

"Of course you can," Ivan rolled his eyes, "he hasn't got a girlfriend, you have a working voice, and there's no real reason why you can't date. Even if you didn't know what words to say you could have easily have something made or write a song or something."

Marinette smiled sheepishly at that. She had said virtually the same thing when Ivan said he couldn't say the words to Mylene.

And he was right.

There was nothing really keeping her from telling Adrien her feelings other than her own person.

Her own person and her own negative feelings of shame, fear, unworthiness, and self-hatred. And while a lot of those were probably typical in a lovesick teenager there was something incredibly wrong to feel _ashamed_ about being in love with someone.

She had no reason to be ashamed at all.

Love was a rather beautiful thing.

"You're…you're…you're right," she stammered out quietly, "I shouldn't be ashamed about my feelings. I have no reason to be." She looked up at met Ivan's eye determinedly. "I should confess."

Ivan's small smiled seemed to be filled with pride at that. "Good," he said quietly but fiercely.

"But Ivan…" Marinette wavered in her newfound determination as her fears and insecurities rose up in her again. "What if Adrien ends up so disgusted with me that he puts out a restraining order on me?!"

"Marinette," Ivan looked amused, "If Adrien hasn't all taken on out on _Chloe_ already, someone who actually is a clingy, needy, creepy person. Then he's definitely not going to take on out on _you."_

"Right," Marinette smiled at that, "Thank you Ivan," she said sincerely as she moved to hug Ivan. It was clumsy and awkward (they weren't really the hugging sort of friends), but it was heartfelt. "You're a good friend."

"I'm only repaying the favour," Ivan shrugged. "You've been good to me too."

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

Chat Noir found Ladybug sitting on a rooftop with her legs dangling over the edge.

She looked beautiful.

She always did, but this evening looked extra beautiful. Her face was soft as she gazed off into the distance. Her brow furrowed ever so slightly in thought and her bottom lip was a teeny bit swollen as if she had bitten it in worry over and over again.

How he wished he could be the one to nibble her plump, sweet, lips….

"Good evening My Lady," he called out cheerfully, "How are you on this _purr_ -fectly f _eline_ evening?" usually a double pun like this would earn him an eye roll with a groan, and then a secret, little, smile. This time round….nothing. Absolutely nothing as Ladybug stared out into the world. "My Lady?" Chat prompted her. " _My Lady_?"

She blinked her beautifully big eyes and shook her head, startled before she smiled wanly at him. "Oh," she murmured sheepishly, "Hi Chat."

"Hey," he said softly, "are you all right?"

"Chat," Ladybug said miserably, "I'm a hypocrite."

"Huh?" Chat blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you see, I once gave someone some advice on confessing their feelings," Ladybug admitted shyly, "and never followed it myself."

Chat's stomach twisted painfully as he felt bile rise up in his throat. He had a feeling Plagg will complain later because he was sure he was sweating and yet he felt terribly clammy.

Confess.

Did she mean him? Or was there someone else?

"Co...Con…. _confess?_!" he stammered out.

And inwardly kicked himself for not coming across as cool and collected and completely unbothered. His voice even squeaked slightly at the end.

Ladybug didn't seem to notice though as she sighed heavily and stared down at her hands. "When did I let my feelings for Adrien Agreste become a dirty little secret?" she murmured to herself. "When did I start seeing something so good in such a negative light? I've gone completely out of my way to hide it."

Chat Noir jumped at that. " _Adrien Agreste_?!" he yelped. "You like Adrien Agreste?!"

She liked him?

She liked his civilian identity?

The boring, repressed, Adrien Agreste?

Ladybug seemed to sense something accusatory in his tone as she looked up at him with a stern glare. "Oh _don't_!" she huffed. "It's not like _that!_ I don't like him because he's a model or rich or anything." He was glad to hear that but it didn't explain why she liked _him._ He wasn't half as brave or funny as he was when he was Chat Noir. "I like him because he's kind," there was a sweet, wistful, smile on her face now, and Chat's heart skipped a beat, "and honest, and brave, and the moment our hands touched….I…just…. _fell._ "

"I…see…"

He was stunned.

Utterly stunned, so stunned, that he could not think let alone actually speak.

Not that Ladybug noticed as she carried on speaking while her cheeks turned rosier and rosier. "I liked him so much it crippled me and I got so tongued tied I always sound like a complete moron, I kept tripping over my own two feet, and looking like a total prat, and I did so many insane things," she looked rather guilt stricken, "I… I….became….ashamed of myself and my feelings."

" _You shouldn't be_!" Chat Noir exclaimed. "You have no reason to feel ashamed. Feeling flustered and in capable of speech, and doing totally insane things, is a perfectly natural part of a crush."

Her face softened into a much sweeter expression as she gazed up at him almost adoringly. "You really think so?" she asked hopefully.

" _Yes!_ "

Because God knows he has felt flustered in her presence and found himself incapable of speech and done his own insane actions in trying to convey his feelings for her. Hell, he even caused an Akuma because he had been so jealous of the thought of another guy just liking her. Not her returning those feelings. Not even them interacting. Just the thought of someone else possibly liking her made him go nuts.

"We all get nervous and shy," he carried on, "we all think negatively of ourselves when it comes to our crushes. There's nothing to be ashamed of, you just have to be brave and positive."

"It's really _hard_!" Ladybug said despairingly. "I never thought it would be when I told Ivan to be positive and confess. I'm so scared he'll hate me."

"He won't hate you," Chat promised. Because how could he ever hate his Lady? Even when she has been at her worst he has found her irresistibly charming. "If anything he'll fall for your _lucky charm_ before you even finish the first sentence."

" _Chat!_ " Ladybug blushed furiously. She smiled though and Chat felt a fluttering sensation in his stomach when she suddenly embraced him. She was so warm, and soft, and smelt so sweet. "Thank you, Kitty" she murmured. He shuddered as her warm breath tickled his ear and suddenly felt awfully cold as she pulled away entirely. "You've given me the courage to go through with what I've promised Ivan. I'll tell Adrien tomorrow."

Chat's stomach lurched at that.

He was beginning to feel like he was on a roller-coaster.

She knew him.

Well, all right, he knew that already when she confessed to have feelings for him. They were bound to know each other somewhere. But she _knew him_ , knew him. As in she saw him regularly enough to confidently say she'll see him tomorrow.

Did they work together?

She was stunning enough to be a model.

Was she in school with him?

Did they have fencing practise together?

He couldn't think. He couldn't come up with a place where they could know each other. His father kept him so secluded that there was so very few options and yet he couldn't place her at all. "You…you…you…see him regularly then?" he fished pathetically.

"Yeah," Ladybug said as she stood up, "we're in the same class together."

And with that startlingly revelation she suddenly flung her yoyo across the street and swung away as her words slowly sunk into Chat's psyche…

"….WHAT?!"

And so he didn't sleep that night.

Adrien paced up and down his room as he tried to figure out who on earth Ladybug could possibly be. Definitely not Chloe, they managed to rule her out successfully after that debacle with Lady Wi-Fi. And also, Ladybug had rescued Chloe enough times in front of him.

The same could be said for Alya and Mylene.

So who?

Juleka had the dark hair and similar build, but Rose had those big, blue eyes that could possibly be a match, and then there was Alix who was fast, and strong, and capable, and –

"This shouldn't be so _difficult_!" Adrien growled in frustration as he pulled at his hair. "I _know_ her! I know _I know her_! I should be able to recognise her straight away. I should be able to figure it out."

"Don't stress about it, Kid," Plagg said lazily, "it's the glamour magic of the Miraculous. It's purposely blinding you to her, and scrambling your brain. It's the same for you. Ladybug could be presented with some hard evidence that you're Chat Noir and her mind will instantly dismiss it."

" _Why_?!" Adrien cried out.

"Safety," Plagg shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "now go to sleep, Kid. You don't want to be snoring in the middle of Ladybug's love confession now, do you?"

That was enough to spur Adrien into actually getting into bed but it did nothing to help Adrien fall to sleep as he desperately tried to figure out who Ladybug was. Maybe he heard her wrong, maybe she didn't say she was a classmate, maybe she meant she was an upper classmate or in another class near his.

He went to school like a zombie.

He was utterly distracted as he kept mentally putting on Ladybug's mask over every female face he encountered on his way to his locker. He groaned despairingly as no one seemed to fit. No one eyes were blue enough, or big enough, no one's face had enough freckles, no one's hair was the right colour, no one –

"A-A-A-Adrien!" Marinette stuttered shyly. "May I give you words?" she looked mortified as she suddenly realised what she said. "I mean you, words, may – _gah_! No! Can I speak to you?!" she almost slumped in relief as she choked out the coherent sentence. "I have something important to say."

"Sure," Adrien smiled wearily, "what's the matter?"

"I-I-I-I don't know ho-ho-how to say this," Marinette stammered as her cheeks turned bright pink, "b-b-b-but I really like you!" she blurted out. "As in, really, _really_ , like you. I have for a while now. Since that day with the umbrella the moment our hands touched….you were just so _kind_! And honest! And brave! To tell me the truth, I mean! And….and…and I don't know how to say this right, I half thought of showing you instead like how Ivan wrote his song for Mylene but my last few attempts ended so dreadfully that…"

Adrien felt like his brain had short-circuited.

Everything clicked into place and suddenly he couldn't believe how completely and utterly _stupid_ he had been all these months. All that time he had spent looking. All that time wondering how so much more beautiful she was, what her life was like, who her friends were, what she did….and he _already knew_!

Ladybug was Marinette.

Marinette was Ladybug.

His Princess was his Lady and his Lady was his Princess.

The two most amazing, beautiful, and sweetest girls in his life were both one and the same. How had he not noticed before? She had those beautiful, big, blue eyes, and those adorable freckles, and that plump, bottom, lip that she had bitten a billion times when she was nervous.

She even had the black-blue pigtails!

 _How could he had been so blind?!_

And she liked him!

 _She really liked him!_

All those times when he thought she had hated him. When she suddenly ducked away, or hide behind Alya, or lost all ability of coherent speech, and it was because she liked him that much.

His heart did a leap of joy at that.

He was tempted to do the same.

Until he saw the heartbroken look of despair on Marinette's eyes and he suddenly realised that he tuned out entirely during the confession she must have worked on so hard.

"…..and I can see that you look horrified and disgusted at the idea," she carried on, "and that's _okay_!" she added hastily, "you don't have to return my feelings. I understand. I'll leave you alone forever now."

Wait, _what?!_

"I-I-I'll see you later!" Marinette choked out. "Thank you for hearing me out!"

And with that she suddenly spun round and dashed down the corridor.

Adrien blinked.

" _Marinette_!" he called after her. "Wait! Marinette!" he began to run after her. He was determined that he will catch her, shake some sense into her for being so silly, and then kiss her senseless again before he confessed his own love back. "MARINETTE!"

He didn't get too far when Mylene suddenly stepped in his path with a fierce, uncharacteristic, glare on her kind face. Ivan stood behind her with his arms crossed and a disapproving expression etched into his own face. " _What did you say to her_?!" Mylene hissed furiously. "She looks heartbroken!"

"Nothing!" Adrien cried out. "I said _nothing_ to her! I didn't get the chance to when she suddenly decided I didn't return her feelings and ran off!"

"O-oh!"

Mylene looked shamefaced and embarrassed while Ivan's look of disapproval eased. Ivan gently pulled Mylene out of Adrien's way and against his own chest. "Then you best go after her," he said quietly, "and say _something_ to her."

Adrien nodded grimly.

He planned to.

He planned to say a whole lot to her, like how he liked her too, and how beautiful, and amazing, and clever, and –

"Well go on then!" Ivan scowled. "Or are you going to let her keep thinking the worst and get Akumatised?"

Adrien's eyes widened in horror at the thought of Ladybug being turned into an Akuma.

The whole world would be _so screwed_.

And so, without another word, he ran after Marinette.

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

Marinette was glad to say that she hadn't completely broken down and started sobbing into her pillow.

Barely.

She was embarrassed, hurt, and a little petrified to what Adrien will actually say, and because of all of that she did run away to the safety of her bedroom. She had quickly transformed into Ladybug in order to avoid going through the front door and being questioned by her parents (who certainly would want to know why she was home barely half an hour after she left for school) but dropped it immediately as soon as she landed onto her bed.

"Oh Marinette!" Tiki murmured as she nuzzled Marinette's rather damp cheek. She may not be sobbing wretchedly into her pillow like any other clichéd broken-hearted teenage girl but that didn't mean she wasn't crying a bit. "It'll be okay! I know it hurts but one day it'll be okay and now you have no regrets."

"I know, I know," Marinette said hastily as she tried to wipe her eyes, "I think I'll be glad I've done it once I stop crying. It's out there. It's not some secret that can embarrass me and at least I can say I've tried."

"Exactly!" Tiki beamed as she gave Marinette's cheek another nuzzle. "You have _nothing_ to be ashamed of, and I think Ivan would be proud you finally did something too." Tiki gazed up at her with loving concern. "I know you feel awful, Marinette, but you should really think positively. Adrien didn't actually say anything."

Marinette choked out a laugh that came out a little bit like a sob. "Oh Tiki!" she sighed as some more tears spilled down on to her cheeks. "I'm not going to turn into an Akuma anytime soon. It hurts, badly, but I refuse to let Hawk Moth take advantage of me feelings." Tiki shone with pride at that and Marinette couldn't help but smile for real in return. "And I don't think Adrien was going to return my feelings either – he looked so _horrified_!" she grimaced at the memory of his thunderstruck face. "But that's okay, he's entitled to feel how he feels and I don't want him to be negative about that too. I don't want him to feel guilty because of me."

Because he would.

He _so_ would.

Adrien was so sweet, and kind, and compassionate that he would be riddled with guilt for breaking with Marinette's heart. And she couldn't do that to him. She loved him too much.

"So today," she said firmly, "I'm going to stay here and cry and eat my weight in cookies but tomorrow I will try to be brave and carry on."

"I am very proud of you," Tiki said softly as she nuzzled Marinette's cheek, "and I very much approve of your plan. Especially the eating your weight in cookies bit."

Marinette laughed at that. A real one this time as little giggles escaped her mouth and Tiki joined in too. Once they finally calmed down, Marinette laid back onto her bed and sighed.

She wasn't really sure how she was going to get the cookies without her parents noticing. She was trying to plot a plan but her mind kept flashing back to Adrien's face, with his eyes wide in horror, his mouth wide open, and the way he stood stiffly and rigidly away from her in disgust.

Then there was a knock on her trap door.

She and Tiki exchanged bewildered glances as there was another knock.

And then another, this time more impatient.

Marinette stumbled and fumbled her way to the door and scrambled to get it open when she was suddenly blinded by sunlight and then -

" _Chat Noir_?!"

"Can I come in?" Chat Noir asked desperately. "Please?" Marinette nodded dumbly and stepped aside so Chat Noir could jump in. when he did he so, he took one look at her and instantly his face crumpled into despair and sympathy. "Oh Marinette," he said miserably, "I am so, so, so sorry."

Marinette froze as he reached out and carefully wiped away her tears. His cool leather gloves brushed against her skin and caused a series of strange tingles down her spine. The worried, miserable, look on his face made her heart squeeze with worry. "What for?" she asked bewilderedly. "You haven't done anything to me."

" _Exactly_!" Chat snapped irritably. Though he seemed more cross with himself than with Marinette. "I didn't do _anything_. I stood there like a dummy as I tried to absorb what was happening and in that moment you thought you were being rejected. I hurt you with my nothing when I should have told you that I liked you too."

"W-w- _what_?!" Marinette stammered and squeaked simultaneously. "What do you mean? I….I….I..."

"When you told me yesterday," Chat explained softly, and there was a familiarity in the unusual gentleness in his smile and the way he looked at her. Chat was usually all big, cheeky, grins and mischievous eyes but now he looked almost like… "That you were going to confess to me. I barely slept trying to figure out how I could have known Ladybug without knowing it was her. And then you approached me this morning, and I was so shocked at it all clicking into place."

"Oh my God!" Marinette breathed out as realisation was finally clicking into place with her too. After all there was only one guy she was confessing to, and he too had glorious golden locks and the most beautiful green eyes. " _Oh my God_!" she said much louder. "OH MY GOD!" she shouted.

 _How could she be so stupid?!_

It was so freaking obvious now that she could truly see it.

 _Alya!_

Alya had shoved that photo of Adrien in Chat Noir's suit and he looked exactly the same and she just dismissed it.

 _How?!_

"I didn't mean to make you feel rejected!" Chat – _Adrien_! – cried out desperately. "I was just surprised and when I finally came back to my senses you seemed to have decided I didn't return your feelings and ran off before I could say something."

" _God,_ " Marinette moaned in embarrassment as she covered her face with her hands, "you must be so disappointed it's me."

There is a green flash and suddenly she felt Adrien's soft, warm, hands gently take hers before he pulled them down. She looked up to meet Adrien's unmasked face, his brow furrowed in concern. "Why would I be disappointed it's you?" he asked wonderingly. "You're the most amazing person I know." Her heart fluttered and she thinks she might have just fallen in love with him all over again. He was her best friend and partner. He had just became a hundred times more wonderful. "I'm sorry I wasn't listening to you properly and made you think the worst, but I'm listening now. I purrmise."

She rolled her eyes at that but couldn't help but smile. She felt tears well up in her eyes all over again but for a totally different, much happier, reason. "I…I…I r-r-r-really like you!" she stammered out. "I always have, and I always will, would you like to go to the cinema with me?!" she blurted out the last part quickly as she could and squeezed her eyes shut tight.

"Just the cinema?" she could virtually hear him pout. "I would think you would like a much more romantic first date, Princess." She opened her eyes see that he was beaming radiantly. "I really like you too."

She blushed as she smiled widely back at him.

There is a long silence as they stared adoringly at one another. Marinette felt her hands itch to reach out and touch him but she was still so nervous to do anything other than tuck her own hair behind her ear and smile like a maniac.

Adrien was grinning back just as madly as he rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. His own cheeks a faint tinge of pink….

"OH JUST _**KISS**_ ALREADY!"

" _Plagg_!"

(The next day Ivan found a box of macarons with a thank you note in his locker alongside with a thank you card with two tickets to Jagged Stone's latest concert.)


End file.
